Chains bound by Fayth
by Angel of the Fayth
Summary: United under tragedy Fayth works alongside unlikely allies as a "bounty hunter" of sorts. Retrieving information from the criminal underworld of Italy and collecting money in exchange. But her motive is deeper than money; she aims to destroy those who destroyed her life and retrieve the little piece of her humanity left. Action/tragedy/suspense/crime/angst/family/friendship/Romance
1. Chapter 1: It Began with a Nightmare

A/N: Wow I really have not been on this website in a while; I guess it's mostly because I'm not much of a writer to begin with... or talented in general XD

But as I am fairly active on my DeviantArt and I have been meaning to write a story behind my OC Fayth I decided why not try to upload it here as well. Even though I am fairly certain that this story will be nowhere near as great as the stories I have seen other people post. Nevertheless I do hope someone can enjoy this story~

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**Chapter 1: It began with a nightmare**

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**(Dream)_  
_**

_All the people running,_

_The children playing..._

_I am lost within the rush._

_I see you standing there._

_Will you wait for me my dear?_

_...Will you know I'm here?_

Flashes of a childhood pass by, almost like a slideshow of pictures. Pictures of a small child with light skin, brown hair, and hazel eyes accompanied her parents, although their faces cannot be seen. The little girl seems to age little by little with each new flash; her smile growing, her eyes filled with hope. The sounds of laughter clear...then complete silence as the last picture shows the same child with tears in her eyes, kneeling besides two gravestones...

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Fayth slowly opened her eyes to the blinding sunlight that penetrated through the curtains. _'That dream again...more like a nightmare'_ thought the woman. Fayth pulled away several strands of her dark red hair which kept her hazel eyes from fully opening. She found herself staring up at the ceiling for a while before becoming aware that she was not home. She looked to her left to see a man sleeping beside her although nowhere near so that they would be touching. A wave of fear overcame her and she pulled the white covers from her body only to let out a sigh of relief that she was not naked.

She slowly sat up, being careful not to wake the man beside her, looking around she figured that she was inside a hotel room; an expensive one at that. The room seemed like a very expensive one, the bed she was on seemed to be a king sized; with white satin sheets covering it and a white comforter set. The bed was on an elevated platform of the room. Two nightstands were on each side of the bed with lamps on top of each. Below to the left was a sitting area with a coffee table facing towards a large T.V that was hanging on the wall. Towards the right there was what seemed like a closet and a tiny hallway that led to two doors; one most likely the bathroom and the other the exit.

Fayth slowly left the bed and began looking for her clothes. They were carelessly thrown onto the floor along with what she assumed were his clothes. She picked up her dress, a black shimmering dress with very thin straps that ended dangerously high. As she put on the dress she felt it hugging her every curve; accentuating her body. She was very pretty for a woman only 19 years; although if you were first meeting her you could swear she was older. Her breasts although not huge they were not a modest size either, her stomach completely flat and toned, a nice hourglass shape and long stunning legs. Her hair was a long dark red that was completely straight and flowed down to her waist. Her face was framed beautifully with peculiar bangs covering her forehead and her eyebrows, her skin even and smooth with soft pink lips that always seemed to tempt you. But the most striking thing about her was her eyes. The color looked to be a hazel but at times seemed to border on an amber/gold color.

After pulling the dress on she began to search through the man's belongings. She threw aside his white button up shirt and began searching the black pants. From one of the pockets she pulled out a phone and quickly began looking through it. Within the list of dates and numbers she found a contact of particular interest. A smile escaped her lips as she pulled the back cover off of the phone and took out the memory card and the SIM card. Having those in her possession she quickly put the cover back on and the phone back where she found it.

Below where her dress had once laid was a small red clutch purse which she immediately picked up and opened. She put the two tiny cards inside and took out one of the two things that was inside; a Smartphone which she immediately used to look up a number and send a text message.

_I have it; be here in 5 minutes._

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A/N: Whelp that's about as creative as I could ever get .-. Please do not forget to leave some constructive criticism!~ I am sadly not the best writer and grammar was never really a strength of mine and although I do appreciate the 'nice job' comments a lot I really hope to gain some feedback on how to improve myself as I keep moving forward~

Until next time!~


	2. Chapter 2: A Ruse

A/N: Chapter 2! 2! 2! 2! 2! 2! 2! 2! 2! 2! 2! 2! *shot*  
Sorry . well I kinda knew that chapter 1 fell a bit short and I hope that this time I have done better :3 Thank you to all who reviewed!~

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**Chapter 2: A Ruse**

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Fayth quickly put away the phone and pulled out the second thing that she brought along with her and closed her purse. Quietly she placed the object, a card, on top of the pillow where she was once sleeping on. She grabbed her shoes and slowly headed out for the door; quickly stopping when she heard the man move around a bit on the bed. She couldn't help but shiver in disgust at the man on the bed. He was a rather obese looking man in what appeared to be his mid-forties. With barely any hair on his head and a tremendous amount on his chest she wondered how could anyone be capable of sleeping with such a man. Then her mind began to race, questioning how she ended up on that bed in the first place but for now she shoved those thoughts aside to focus on the current situation. When he settled back down she moved again, quickly grabbing the door knob and slowly moving it to open the door.

Fayth quickly stepped out of the room and quietly closed the door behind her. Luckily it was still fairly early and there was no one around the hallways. She put her shoes on and made her way into the elevator at the end of the hall. As she waited for it to arrive she ran her fingers through her fairly silky hair, trying to make it look neater. She quickly stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for the Lobby. _'I hope that I am not left waiting' _she thought as she walked out of the elevator into the hotel lobby. It was fairly quiet since it was so early and only the receptionist, doorman, and a bell boy was present. She smiled as she passed by them, the exit so close to her.

The receptionist quickly noticed Fayth heading towards the exit "Oh miss?"

Fayth stopped in her tracks _'oh great'_ she thought as she turned to face the woman "Yes?"

"Would you like me to call you a cab?" the receptionist asked, puzzled as to why a woman would be walking out at 6 in the morning.

"No thank you." Fayth replied; feigning a warm and kind demeanor "My driver will be picking me up outside."

"Would you like for me to notify someone in your room?" the receptionist asked again.

"Oh no; he knows where I am headed" Fayth answered again; starting to feel her patience run thin with the receptionist dragging out their interaction.

"Very well miss" the receptionist finally said conceding defeat, before returning to her duties.

Fayth sighed as she continued to walk towards the exit. The doorman quickly opened the door for her as she stepped outside of the hotel. Directly in front was a stretch limo waiting with a man holding the door open. The man held his head down, hiding most of his features but one could see the strands of long dark blue hair around him. Fayth quickly made her way into the car and sat down; the man closed the door and made his way into the front of the limo to the driver's side and got in. As soon as the limo began to drive away Fayth let out a small sigh of relief that everything went fairly well. Just as she was eyeing the bottles of wine to the side she quickly turned her attention to the driver as he stopped at a red light.

"You had me waiting six hours..." the man said.

"Well I couldn't help it! I fell asleep!" Fayth rudely countered.

"Did you..." the man was beginning to ask

"Of course not! Not with such a disgusting pig!" Fayth quickly cut him off.

The man glanced at the rear view mirror looking back towards Fayth. From the mirror you could see his deep blue eyes and his fairly light skin. He pulled off the drivers hat he was wearing and tossed it aside. While he was driving, Fayth opened up her purse and pulled out the memory card and SIM card she had stolen and began fiddling them between her fingers.

"I see you got it" The man said eyeing her from the mirror.

"I do my job right" Fayth answered putting the two cards back into her purse and setting it aside.

"So what happened?" The man asked as the car slowed to a stop at another red light.

"I don't know..." Fayth sighed out. "I did not touch a drop of alcohol all night..." she said placing her hand on her forehead; trying to think clearly the events of the previous night.

"I thought that you would only fix his beverage?" The man asked with a bit of confusion in his voice as he began to accelerate the car again.

"No..." Fayth began to say while she kept thinking. "Security around him and the venue was too tight for the night, I had to hit the whole supply..."

"Then that would mean..." the man began to say.

"That would mean that disgusting pig somehow fixed up my drink too" Fayth said, finishing was he was going to say. "I guess he wanted his own night of fun...too bad for him; he was such a heavy drinker.."

"I cannot believe the great Fayth de la Rosa could not guard her own drink" The man said; letting out a chuckle for which Fayth quickly shot a menacing look towards him.

"Forgive me; as I apparently am not as good as the so-called-GREAT Zarudin" Fayth scoffed in reply.

"I cannot blame you; no one is as good as I am" he replied.

"Sure...if you can believe that delusion" She said with a smirk.

"So tell me...how was it?" Zarudin asked referring to the night before.

"Fairly well..." She replied; turning her head towards the mirror. "The ruse worked perfectly...you know, you were right, he is a sucker for a young red head." She replied thinking back to last night.

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A/N: A new main character is introduced! Zarudin is NOT my character though; he belongs to a rl friend of mine and it is his OC. But we decided that we would place our OC's in each other's OC's background...does that make sense? Whelp anyways tune in for the next chapter where Fayth thinks about last night's events!

Please do not forget to leave some constructive criticism!~ I really hope to gain some feedback on how to improve myself as I keep moving forward~

Until next time!~


	3. Chapter 3: Last Night

A/N: Now tis a look into what Fayth has done the night before; a flashback chapter! It's mostly filler to see how Fayth does her...*ahem* job.

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**Chapter 3: Last Night**

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_'The ruse was perfect; I would appear at the gala that was made in celebration of that pig... Angelo Boveri, the so called 'Hero of Italy'.' _His name was everywhere recently, he was being hailed as a grand man in a country of corruption for his dedication to 'destroying' the criminal organizations of Italy. But it all was a lie, just as every other person of power he was bought out...another puppet of those same organizations he claimed to be against.

The reserved party hall in the hotel was packed; as Fayth entered into the room and walked down the stairs she could clearly see diplomats and other high end celebrities mingling and chatting up a storm in their seats. She entered just as Boveri was making a speech about turning Italy into a shining example of justice against the tyranny of these organizations. Fayth wasn't paying much attention and simply sat down in one of the tables at the far end. Tonight her name was Alessia Belmonte; and she was a young, rich heiress to the Belmonte family. Obviously that was a lie but it was a very convincing one considering all of the work put into making her identity seem as real as possible. Her story was that she was visiting her native Italy from the United States to see this shining example of a man.

Several people looked on at her while she played a bit with her drink of water. Boredom was easily seen in her expression meanwhile others were laughing and supposedly enjoying the atmosphere. Suddenly she sat straight as she watched Angelo Boveri walk towards the center of the room; at a open space meant for dancing.

"My friends! Let us not waste time on such a marvelous night...let us dance and enjoy this occasion!" He bellowed out.

The people applauded and yelled out in agreement as several left their seats to pull others towards the dance floor. The music started to blare out of the speakers set all around the room, playing out fast paced pop/techno music. _'Show time'_ Fayth thought, standing up from her seat and walking towards the dance floor; stopping just a few people away from where Boveri was, surrounded by three other woman dancing around him. She sighed and began to dance her way towards him, faking a happy and content smiling, giggling her way to him. She had her arms up high swaying to the music, her breasts wiggling as best it could within the confines of her clothes, her hips swaying from side to side, her skin shimmering under the blinking lights. Soon she felt her back hit against someone _'Bingo' _she though with an inward smile as she turned around to face the man she bumped into.

Boveri stood in front of her, first with an expression of anger, wondering who dare interrupt his dance; but then his expression quickly turned into one of perversion and interest. Before him stood such a marvelous example of feminine beauty; her youthfulness excited him as well as her blatant showing of her assets. The way she wore that incredibly short dress, which hugged her every curve, was tantalizing for him. The most intriguing part however was that dark red hair; he was a sucker for women with red hair and he knew he had to have her.

"Oh I'm so sorry" Fayth said with a look of fear as well as innocence. Her voice snapped him out of his trance just in time to catch what she said.

"My dear..." Boveri began "...do not worry about it. Have I seen you somewhere before? I doubt it as I would not dare forget such a beauty as yourself" he ended with a smile.

Fayth felt her stomach turn, knowing the thoughts that are probably passing through his head. "Why I do not think we have...you see-I have just arrived here from the United States..."

"America? What is your name my dear?" He asked with a puzzled look.

"I am sorry, I should know better" Fayth said as she extended her hand out towards him."My name is Alessia Belmonte, from the Belmonte hotel line."

Boveri held her hand and gently leaned down to kiss it. Fayth tried her best to contain the shudder she felt passing down her spine.

"Why Mrs...?" He began, trying to find out whether she was taken or not.

"Miss., I am not married."

"Why Miss. Belmonte, it is such a pleasure to meet you" Boveri said while he continued to hold her hand.

While he said this she saw two men in suits walk away from their proximity. '_Surely it is to confirm my identity' _she thought; knowing that a man in his position would take precautions. But she couldn't help bet inwardly smile, her identity was so well done there would be no way for him to hold any doubt.

"The pleasure is all mine" Fayth said with a smile as she slowly pulled her hand away from him. "I mean this gala was made for you...the grand hero of Italy."

"Why Ms. Belmonte..." he began to say.

Fayth cut him off "Please...call me Alessia. Ms. Belmonte is far too formal for my taste."

"Well Alessia, I am but a simple man. But for tonight I have been graced by your beauty" He continued with a smile; hoping to charm her.

_'This guy is full of it...' _She thought, watching his smile forming on his face.

"Shall we dance?" He asked; although he would not be willing to accept any other answer than a yes from her.

"Why sure" she replied while hearing a new song playing into the room.

She began to again move herself around him. Watching him simply swaying around _'Oh God...this man wants a show!' _ she thought with disgust. Nevertheless it's not like she could complain, she is supposed to be a ditzy heiress that lives for parties and fun. While she continued her dancing she saw from the corner of her eye that the two men were returning to them. She turned around and wrapped her arms around his neck as she continued to dance to the music. One of the men walked up to Boveri and simply nodded _'Good, everything is going well' _she thought as she watched him nod in return and then continued to sway along with her.

When the music finally ended she stopped and stepped back a bit so that there would be a little distance between them. He had barely moved at all and he was drenching in sweat, as if he ran out a 5 mile marathon. Fayth felt like she would need to shower 10 times straight just to work off part of his scent away from her.

"I'm fairly tired, why don't we sit for a drink?" She asked; hoping that he wouldn't insist on another song. The night was working its way out and she had a task to complete. He nodded in agreement and they made their way back to his table which was situated right on the stage where he had delivered his speech; the two men in suits following closely behind. _'Typical'_ Fayth thought seeing how his table stood out from the rest. They walked up the three steps to the platform and sat down at the table, he sat to her immediate right, the two men standing behind him. The table was already littered with about 15 glasses; all of them his. _'Heavy drinker...just as __**he**__ said'_ Fayth thought.

There were other women coming their way, surely looking to grasp his attention to them as well. If one were to become a lover, or even a wife, to one of these types of men they would have their life made for them. Therefore it would only be natural that he would attract all types of young and beautiful women. Fayth could only shudder at the fact that there were women willing to throw away their dignity for a life of riches, despite all her bad qualities she was proud to not be like them. As they neared he simply waved his hand and the two men in suits walked up to the young women and denied them access to his table. Fayth gave him a sweet smile in response to his gestured but inwardly she hoped they would have joined, it wouldn't have jeopardized her in anyway but at least he wouldn't be paying all of his attention on her.

"So what to do you drink?" He asked as he motioned for a waiter to come their way.

"Oh I am not a drinker" she replied. That was not true, she would kill for some alcohol, anything to try and lower the growing need to get up and pummel the man to death, take what she needed, and walk away. But prior to the event she had all of the alcohol supply switched with similar bottles but laced with a small quantity of a sleeping drug in each one.

"Please do not deny me one glass" Boveri replied.

"I must insist" Fayth said "I'm afraid that I cannot tolerate alcohol." she said looking down at the table.

"Really?" He asked, confusion clear in his voice, "People can be allergic to alcohol?"

"Why yes...although it is quite rare" she replied. "I guess that is why I like to dance and party a lot instead" She said as she flashed a sweet smile his way. Her hands tightly folded at her lap, which squeezed her chest further together, accentuating her breasts more.

Boveri could not wrap is mind around her. She seemed so sweet and innocent yet at times he saw a fire burn within her. She looked and danced like a vixen; yet she spoke and smiled like a young school girl. Whatever the contradiction was he could not stand the thought of leaving her untouched. His perverted thoughts wanted - no - DEMANDED that he take her. But he did not want to risk the chance that she may not want to follow him. So he decided he would fix up a special drink of his. One he has used many times in order to gain compliance from the women of his interest.

"Well then may I offer you a virgin mix?" He asked her. (Virgin mix is pretty much alcoholic beverages but without the alcohol. Think Pina Colada but with no alcohol).

"No thank you; but a Cedrata would be nice" Fayth replied; looking up from the table towards him. (Cedrata is a sweet yellow-green drink made from extracts of the fruit of the Lebanon cider tree; pretty much a soda from Italy).

"Well waiter I will take a Averna Sambuca while the young lady here will take a Cedrata." he told the waiter who then bowed and walked off to get their drinks.

The wait for the drinks was a bit of a blur, Boveri kept blabbering on about his job and his accomplishments; he did not even notice that Fayth was not even paying the slightest attention to him. Eventually the waiter came back with their drinks and set them down in front of them, after which he bowed and left. Fayth grabbed her drink and began to sip it slowly while he watched with interest. Without her knowing he fixed the drink so that she soon would feel dizzy and very willing.

Fayth sipped the drink slowly but as she swallowed some down she opened her eyes to look at the glass and noticed that the drink was unusually bright. _'Crap'_ she thought as she set her drink down promptly. Maybe it was just paranoia or maybe not but she would not take any chances. She decided she would have to move quickly, as she picked up the glass she let it slip and spill onto her lap; the glass cup falling and shattering to the floor.

"OH MY!" She said as she stood up, took a napkin from the table, and began to wipe her lap dry.

"Oh my dear; you are wet. Maybe you would like to clean yourself in my room?" Boveri asked with a smile.

"May I?" Fayth asked while she grabbed her purse.

"But of course." He replied, standing from his seat and walked towards her to lead the way up to his room.

They exited the party room while the other guest resumed their dancing. The two men were following behind them but Boveri looked back and shook his head, as if telling them that they were not needed, and they turned back around and went back to the party. Fayth began to work up a plan inside her head while they walked into the elevator _'He didn't notice how much I drank; maybe I can feign the symptoms until his kick in...by now he must already be feeling very tired. When he sleeps I will then do what I came for.'_ They walked into the room and Fayth began to feign some dizziness, holding on to the wall to support herself.

"Are you alright?" Boveri asked.

"A bit tired..." she replied.

"Then you may rest here if you like." He said; pointing towards the big bed in the middle of the room.

Fayth walked her way towards the bed, continually holding onto the wall or a piece of furniture for support. Just as she made it to the bed a feeling of sickness hit her. _'Crap, how strong was that drug...he slipped...o-' _she wondered as she fell out of consciousness, her body falling onto the bed. Boveri walked towards her in content and began to strip her of her clothes and shoes, tossing them aside along with his own. He then got into the bed next to her on his knees over her body as he began to search for her bra hook. When he finally managed to find it a strong headache began to rear itself. He fell back, sitting besides Fayth and pinched the bridge of his nose in an attempt to lessen the throbbing headache. Resolved in his plans he attempted to unhook her bra loose when he started to feel dizzy. Again, he sat down but the effect wouldn't lessen and he also fell out of consciousness right next to her.

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A/N: That was a bit nauseating...that Boveri character wasn't my ideal type of guy to write about. Thank goodness that is all over with~

Please do not forget to leave some constructive criticism!~ I really hope to gain some feedback on how to improve myself as I keep moving forward~

Until next time!~


	4. Chapter 4: Home

A/N: I apologize in advance for this chapter. I got carried away in trying to describe the house and some of the rooms in as much detail as possible. As a result this chapter will probably be a but drier than the previous ones; but I felt it best to get it out of the way now rather than later.

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**Chapter 4: Home**

_'I could do without that horrible night'_ Fayth thought _'Still I did get what I wanted; and technically no harm was done to me. The only way this could be better is if he awakens believing he was dream-' _She interrupted her own train of thought to remember the card she left on the pillow beside his, as well as the fact that he will notice his phone missing two very important components. _'Well maybe it is better he knows who he was attempting to take advantage of last night.'_

"...right?"

She snapped out of her thoughts at hearing the last part of the question. Looking up, she hadn't noticed how much time she spent thinking about last night's events. The drive was long and it would take at least another 20 minutes to get to their destination, she sighed inwardly and looked out of the window, watching the other cars zip past them and the quiet of the night fading away to the beginning bustle of the morning.

"Hey are you listening?" Zarudin asked.

"Afraid not..." Fayth said, continually looking out the window.

Zarudin sighed "I asked if they tried to verify who you were last night"

"Yeah; two men who were constantly around Boveri. When I introduced myself they briefly left his side for what I assume is to check my identity."

"And it passed through?"

"Well when they came back they simply nodded, so I would assume so. If not I'm pretty sure that pig wouldn't have been trying to take advantage of me last night"

"Unless he knew and decided that a scandal would cause problems so he played along..."

Fayth looked towards Zarudin's direction. He always was a cautious type; completely opposite of Fayth. She would usually charge head on and not look ahead of the consequences; he, on the other hand, would measure his opponent and plan ahead being sure to leave little room for surprises. But she could not understand why he always insisted on a different reasoning as hers.

"Why do you insist on ruining my fun?" She questioned; flashing a look of annoyance at him.

"I did not intent to supposedly ruin your fun. But you should stop being such a hard head and actually plan ahead for these things" He replied, shaking his head in disapproval of her fight first talk later approach to things.

Fayth scoffed at his reply "Just keep driving" She replied, turning her head back towards the window; watching as the surroundings go from small quiet houses to bigger, more extravagant, mansions.

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After a while the car came up to a huge iron gate with tall white brick walls enclosing the property. Zarudin stepped outside of the car and walked towards a keypad/speaker combination that was right next to the gate. He talked for a bit and input a number on the pad, returning to the car while the gates began to open. Ahead was a huge mansion with a fountain at the front, the statute of what appeared to be a mermaid holding a pot from where the water sprayed out of. The car followed the paved path; lined at both sides with rose buses and Japanese maple trees that have been grown in containers. The grass looked very healthy and green; beautifully leveled and maintained. The path looped around the statue and at the middle of the loop there was a pebbled path that led up to the house. The car pulled to a stop; Fayth stepped out of the right side of the car and stared at the huge steps leading up to the mansion.

The house itself seemed to be old; although it had recently been remodeled the history poured out through the walls. Up the 20 steps was a huge double white door; Fayth sighed, turning around to see Zarudin step out and walk to a man, handing him the keys so the car could be parked in the underground parking lot. He walked up the steps and stood next to Fayth as she lifted her hand to ring the doorbell. Both door swung open and a man stood inside, he was middle aged, of a rather short stature, with grey hair and wearing a butlers uniform; he bowed to both Fayth and Zarudin.

"Welcome back Lady Fayth, young man." He said acknowledging both of them.

"Aldo...prepare my bath please; I must get this disgusting scent off me" Fayth said watching the other maids and workers scramble around to finish their chores.

"As you wish my lady" He replied, bowing before turning around and going up the massive stairs.

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The house was huge, clearly built with a big family in mind. Walking into the foyer everything was white; the floor made of white marble and the walls painted to match; with big columns lined up leading to the staircase. The room itself big enough for a party for at least a hundred people. Directly ahead was a grand staircase, also white, lined with a red carpet. To the left of the staircase there was a hall that led to two half bathrooms for guests. Further down there was the study that had three computer stations and several bookcases that reached the ceiling, all lined with books, a big gym filled with the most modern equipment known, and a music room filled with all types of instruments. To the right there was a sitting room for guest visits it had couches around three sides of the room, with a big coffee table and a flat screen T.V hanging from the bare side of the room, further down was a dining room for 12 people to comfortably eat with a mini bar at the corner. At the end stood a huge luxurious kitchen with two refrigerators, stoves, ovens, trash compactors, and dishwashers, as well as a corner reserved for 6 people to eat in.

Going up the stairs led to 8 different bedrooms, although no one occupies them now, set up with queen sized beds, two nightstands at either side, a 40" flat screen T.V across from the bed so one could comfortably lie in bed and watch, a chest of drawers, and a dresser with a mirror. The floors were lines with beautifully shined red wood and the walls were white with red wood paneling at the lower half, and spacious walk-in closet located at the left of the room. A huge silver crystal ceiling light hung from the middle. and to the back there were three huge ceiling to floor windows, covered in a thin white lace drapery.

Each bedroom had its own personal bathroom which meant there were also 8 bathrooms. The bathrooms were lined with beige tiles on the floor and walls, halfway up the walls the tiles had a rose design in the middle which seemed to be made of glass. The bathrooms had a hamper in the corner and the sink, with the counters extended a bit to allow room for various things to be left there, as well as for more cabinet space at the bottom for storage. A wide mirror/medicine cabinet hung above the sink. On the other side of the room at the corner was a steam shower and whirlpool bath combo with a steam enclosure; the unit itself looked to cost a mini fortune. It was custom built giving one an impossible amount of options to shower in. Next to it a rack for hanging wet towels, and finally a smart toilet that flushes on its own, with a rack directly above it for one to grab clean folded towels from.

Further up another set of stairs led to three more bedrooms; two were twice the size of the second floor bedrooms, which were already very big in their own right, and the middle room four times as big. Although the furniture, as well as the ceiling light and window positions, in all three rooms were the same as those on the second floor; the only difference being that the bed was a king rather than queen, the T.V is 60" rather than 40", and the addition of a study table. Each bedroom had their own personal bathroom; also bigger than those downstairs, affording more room to extend the counter further and for a slightly bigger sized steam shower and bath combo, being able to seat two very comfortably. The master bedroom had a special addition; instead of three windows there were two at each corner, the middle being a sliding door with led out to a balcony overlooking the back side of the house.

To gain entrance to the backyard one would either go around the house outside, or go out through a door in the kitchen. As soon as one stepped into the backyard a big Grecian pool was in view beyond the steps down, with an inground circular hot tub next to it; surrounded by red bricks around them. Chaise lounges lined on the side of the pool while on the other end a driving board stands; ladders being on each of the four corners. Beyond that there is a big rotunda gazebo, big enough for two people to share a romantic moment. White brick walls enclose the space, discouraging any prying eyes from looking, while huge rose bushes of different colors are lined along the wall enclosure. The house held much history, being a house that has belonged to Fayth's family for generations although Fayth just recently bought it herself.

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Fayth and Zarudin began the task of going up the stairs; heading towards the master bedroom, Fayth's bedroom, in silence. To any newcomer the atmosphere would have left them in shock, but they had already been in here countless times so at this point there was really no surprise. They went into Fayth's bedroom while Aldo just made his exit, bowing to them both before leaving. Zarudin sat on the bed and Fayth scooped up the folded jeans, white tank top, and undergarments that sat on the dresser and walked towards the bathroom.

"I wonder if this will end up on the news." Zarudin wondered aloud to Fayth.

"Possibly; although it would hurt his image terribly" She replied from within the bathroom; flinging the big uncomfortable pumps from her feet out the door frame to the bedroom.

"Well remember you DID spike the whole supply; he could claim it to be an attack to the public if he finds out" He countered; watching the dangerously high heeled shoes fly out of the bathroom; landing on the floor with a heavy thud.

"No; imagine if they have to admit that the same 'mystery woman' that has been annoying them for three months now has struck yet again" Fayth replied while trying to shimmy her way out of the tight dress; "The media would make a storm out of it; and it would draw too much attention to them." She finished saying while finally slipping away from the gown. She unclasped her bra and took off her underwear; tossing the three articles outside the bathroom frame.

"Should I call her and tell her to pick up the stuff?" Zarudin asked while watching more clothes being tossed carelessly to the floor.

She scoffed "God; I'm going to hear it this time...She ALWAYS has to shove some type of error in my face! And with what happened last night; she will never drop it." She complained with a hint of anger in her voice. Fayth opened the shower enclosure and got into the tub; closing the screen behind her and sitting down into the warm water that was surrounded by bubbles and the scent of roses and germanium.

"Who can blame her? Every time you do this you are practically begging to be killed" He replied.

"Thanks for your vote of confidence." Fayth said; her tone completely monotone at this point.

"I'll go and call her then." Zarudin concluded; noticing her tone and knowing that she would want to be left alone at this point. He stood up and walked out of the bedroom, closing the door behind him.

* * *

A/N: Again apologies, the next chapters will not be as boring I assure you

Please do not forget to leave some constructive criticism!~ I really hope to gain some feedback on how to improve myself as I keep moving forward~

Until next time!~


	5. Chapter 5: Assignment

A/N: Not much to say except enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 5: Assignment**

* * *

_I reach my hand out_

_Waiting for you to do the same_

_The people passing by now fading away..._

_It is just us my dear,_

_You and me._

_Please turn around and notice me..._

_Finally you turn to me; your eyes meet mine _

_My breath is stilled..._

_Such a lovely gaze..._

_I cannot understand this need..._

_This longing to be near you_

_Do I need to?_

_Do you feel the same way?_

Flashes of pictures, of memories, pass by; starting with the image of the female child with tears in her eyes, kneeling besides two gravestones, besides her is another child, a younger girl, who looks remarkably similar to the first. Both with tears running down their cheeks; then a boy appears reaching out from behind and touching the older child on her shoulder. The girl grows, but the sparkle of hope in her eyes long gone; her face emotionless as she passes though her childhood into adolescence. Each in memory her face no longer has a smile; she is no longer happy, until she reaches what seems to be 14 years old. Again she is kneeling besides the two gravestones, and the child from before, now a young man, reaches out and wraps his arms around her shoulders. She reaches to hold onto his arms, tears threatening to run as they both stay in place; then suddenly a small smile appears on her face.

Fayth's eyes rapidly opened and she immediately sat up in her bed; a bead of sweat ran down the side of her face and pooled at the edge of her jaw line which she swept away with her hand. _'Why...why now? I haven't had these dreams since...' _She cut herself off and shook away the thoughts forming, instead turning her head to look at the clock sitting atop of the dresser. _'Morning?'_ She wondered, rubbing her forehead with her hands. Much of last night after her bath was a blur, she recalled dinner, hearing Zarudin continually chide her for her carelessness, but not much after. Sliding off the bed, she stretched her hands up, feeling her body adjust itself while she moved around. She went over to the chest and took off her tank top and pajama bottoms, pulling on a pair of dark wash jeans with holes at the knees, and a white oversized of the shoulder shirt. Fayth pulled on some socks and slipped into a pair of black sneakers before running downstairs to the foyer.

Hearing footsteps Zarudin glanced up towards the stairs to see Fayth running down. Alongside him was Aldo, her butler, who upon seeing Fayth bowed to her. She stopped just short of them and began to catch her breath; while they looked on. Zarudin was wearing a simple white T-shirt and baggy green cargo pants with black sneakers. His blue hair flowed freely, as he usually likes it, ending just past his waist. His bangs were messy and usually ended up slightly covering one of his eyes; and two forelocks which he let hang towards the front ended just below his chest.

"My lady; shall I serve you breakfast?" Asked Aldo, breaking the brief silence.

"No; but please have lunch ready for when we return." Fayth replied; finally able to breathe normally. With that Aldo bowed once again and walk away towards what she assumed was the kitchen.

"You're not one to come to these things.." Zarudin said with a puzzled look on his face.

"If I don't go she will just come over here" She replied; placing her hands on her hips. "I'd rather not go through that."

"Well then let's go; the driver is waiting outside." He said; walking towards the door leading outside the house.

* * *

It took a while of driving when they eventually came up to a huge building; at least 40 stories high, the facade all covered with glass panes. The car pulled up to the front entrance and both Fayth and Zarudin stepped out. _'Here it is...the Agenzia Informazioni e Sicurezza Interna.'_ She sighed inwardly with a sense of dread knowing the coming lecture she will face. Walking into the lobby all that was there were three elevators at each side and a reception desk in the middle. Ignoring the woman at the desk they immediately headed for one of the elevators.

"You know you could lighten up some" Zarudin said; noting the tense feeling radiating from Fayth.

"Yeah sure; you're not the one that's going to be lectured" Fayth replied. It's not like she feared who they were here to see, it was more like annoyance.

Finally arriving at their floor they stepped out, walking down the hallway in silence towards the dark wooden door at the end. Zarudin quickly opened the door, already familiar with the routine; stepping through into what looked like a simple conference room. The room had a big oval table, surrounded by 20 leather chairs, across the room big windows were the only source of light, and a wooden door was at their far right corner. They sat down in the seats immediately in front of them and waited in silence for what seemed like forever; even though in reality it was only about 5 minutes.

"Stop fidgeting" Zarudin finally said; breaking the silence.

"I can't help it!" Fayth shot back, unable to find any comfort in her chair she kept shifting around in anger.

The door at the right corner opened; Fayth and Zarudin quickly looked towards that direction. A woman stood at the doorframe with blue hair that ended at the nape of her neck; except for two forelocks that were longer and kept at the front; framing her face and ending slightly below her collarbone. She had bangs which covered much of her eyebrows and stopped short of her emerald eyes; along with practically flawless creamy skin which gave her a delicate, almost harmless, appearance. She stood there wearing a blue pantsuit that Fayth could swear was the exact same color as her hair, a green shirt underneath, and green peep toe shoes. She was expressionless while she moved towards the sitting pair carrying several files; she pulled a seat out across from them and sat down; placing the files on the table. They sat there again in a moment of silence; the woman across from them had her hands joined together, resting them on top of the files.

"Look if you're gonna lecture me you might as well start now" Fayth said, completely losing her patience and deciding that she might as well begin what was sure to be a torment.

The woman shot a menacing look in her direction before pulling out a paper from one of the files and sliding it across the table to them. Zarudin caught it before Fayth could reach and began to read the contents; his face becoming serious before passing it along to Fayth.

"Do you have **ANY** idea what you have caused?" the woman asked while Fayth read the paper silently.

After a little while Fayth slid the paper back across to the woman and scoffed "Keh, it's not like it changes anything. I've been in worse."

The woman slammed her hands on the table and stood up; eying Fayth furiously. "Not like this you haven't! Your face is all over the news! The agency has been fielding calls all day criticizing their lack of handling the situation!" she said; her tone noticeably anger and her voice louder.

Fayth stood up; not one to be talked down to, much less be intimidated by her yelled "WHATS YOUR PROBLEM NEGUMI?! IT'S NOT LIKE I HAVEN'T BEEN ON THE NEWS BEFORE!"

Negumi quickly worked her way around the table and stood in front of Fayth "IT MATTERS BECAUSE NOW THEY HAVE A FACE TO HUNT DOWN; YOU WERE NOT EVEN DISGUISED! DO YOU REALIZE THAT **EVERYONE** WILL BE AFTER YOU!"

"BACK OFF NOW NEGUMI! I AIN'T GONNA APOLOGIZE FOR NOTHING BECAUSE I STILL GOT WHAT YOUR STUPID AGENCY WANTED! SO GIVE ME MY PAY AND MY NEXT ASSIGNMENT SO I CAN LEAVE!" She yelled back; her hands clenched into fists, and her eyes intense.

Zarudin quickly got up and stepped between them; mostly blocking Fayth from trying something that could get her in a big mess "This is no time to argue; instead we should be finding a solution to this" he calmly stated.

Negumi eyed Zarudin before sighing; fixing her composure before calmly replying "Your pay will be processed; as for your next assignment you will not be doing anything-"

"WHAT THE FUCK NEGUMI!" Fayth angrily cut her off; Zarudin still holding her back from going after Negumi.

"As I just said; you will not be working assignments. The agency has decided that it is too much of a risk to send you back out...so in your place I and Zarudin will be taking over while you work behind the scenes" Negumi concluded.

Zarudin could tell that Fayth's heart rate was greatly increased due to her anger. Always trying to be a peacemaker he quickly replied in her place. "Accepted; she will step down to allow you to temporarily take over. When can you start?"

"As soon as I situate myself at her house" She replied.

"WHAT?!" Fayth yelled. "I AM NOT ABOUT TO LET YOU SET FOOT-"

Negumi cut her off "As I currently am not equipped to work this assignment from within my own home I will temporarily be in yours."

Zarudin looked at Fayth and spoke in a low voice "You know that being here would jeopardize her; the quicker this blows over the quicker she can leave. Can't you _try_ to put up with her for a little while?"

Fayth responded with a scowl before looking at Negumi and then back at Zarudin. "Do whatever you want; but take a room as _far_ away from me as possible; and I expect your 'visit' to be short..._extremely short_" she replied before storming off, slamming the door behind her.

Negumi sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Don't mind her; right now she is angry but give her time to cool down...She tends to be irrational at times and even childish; but you, more than anyone, understand why staying with the agency is important to her not just monetary-wise" Zarudin said; noting the worried expression on her face. He then turned to open the door and leave; closing it gently behind him.

Negumi looked up at the closed door and mentally sighed, mumbling to herself "I just wish she would understand I'm only looking out to _protect_ her...not hurt her..."

* * *

A/N: The Agenzia Informazioni e Sicurezza Interna is basically Italian for Internal Information and Security Agency. This is an agency dedicated to the internal affairs within Italy only.

Negumi actually is not fully working for the agency; she is also a side worker like Fayth but she has a better relationship with the agency.

Please do not forget to leave some constructive criticism!~ I really hope to gain some feedback on how to improve myself as I keep moving forward~

Until next time!~


	6. Chapter 6: A Cross to Bear

A/N: Moar stuffs? Yessu, moar stuffs...although I may put this story on hiatus since I haven't received much in terms of feedback... Maybe. Depends on my mood really...

* * *

**Chapter 6: A cross to Bear**

* * *

_'Laughter'_ Fayth thought as she sat up in bed and groaned. It was barely 7:00 in the morning, on a Saturday no less, and already people were ticking her off. It had been just 3 weeks since that argument with Negumi; the day after she immediately came over with two huge suitcases, one with clothes, and the other with what Fayth assumed was work related material. At Zarudin's insistence she stayed in one of the guest rooms on the second floor; although Fayth would have loved leaving her in one of the empty housekeeper bedrooms in the basement. They hadn't really spoken much after what happened; mostly idle chatter and short sentences. Sitting up, now Fayth couldn't help but feel a little bad about the whole thing. Maybe she did blow things out of proportion, but who could understand her situation? No one she guessed, letting loose her hair from the confines of the bun she made last night and massaging the temples of her head with her nimble fingers.

* * *

"Really?" Negumi asked, unable to hold back the laugher from escaping her mouth. They were both sitting on her bed; Negumi by the headboard; while Zarudin was at the base.

"You should have seen it! Fayth just kicked him really hard after that! I think it probably left him sterile for life!" Zarudin replied; holding back the tears from flowing down as he clutched his abs, choking from the laughter.

He was just explaining to her one of the many awkward situations that he and Fayth tend to get into. This particular story on a man who, during the middle of their undercover assignment, went up to Fayth, clasped her hands in his, and asked her to bear him a child.

After a while of laughter she was finally able to breathe again. "Wait how long have you known Fayth?" Negumi asked; arching her eyebrow which suggested that there was something there between the two.

Zarudin instantly held out his hands in front of him and vigorously waved them around, shaking his head at the same time "It's not like that!" he immediately said.

Unable to hold back, she continued to laugh again. "You sh- sure?" Negumi asked in between laughs.

"Of course!" he replied. "What we have is a mutual understanding..."

Negumi stopped laughing and looked up at him with a curious look on her face. As if reading her thoughts Zarudin felt maybe it was time she knew how Fayth and he came to be friends and partners. He opened his mouth, about to tell her the story, until he heard a voice behind him.

"Story isn't just yours to tell you know..."

* * *

Fayth wearyingly stood up; leaving her bed behind. Looking through her drawers she pulled out a purple lace bra, a white gypsy crop top, and black leggings which ended midway between her knees and her ankles. Quickly changing and slipping on white wedge sandals she left her room to search out the source of all the noise; quickly zoning in towards the second floor. Working her way to the room on the far right Fayth stopped short of the entryway; listening in on the conversation inside.

She mentally sighed as she listened to the story of that insane lecher; Gods that was one of the most awkward stories of her life. She then heard Negumi asking about her and Zarudin and his response. Fayth shook her head; imagining how he must be shaking his head widely like a child who tried to deny the mess they made. There was a brief silence and she took the opportunity to walk in; imagining that Zarudin was about to tell Negumi how they met. She wasn't wrong.

* * *

Zarudin and Negumi looked towards the source of that voice; seeing Fayth walk towards them. She saw that Zarudin was already dressed for the day; a black shirt and dark blue jeans with black sneakers. Negumi, on the other hand, was still in her blue pajama top and bottoms; the ones with the blindingly bright yellow stars stamped everywhere. She plopped herself onto Negumi's bed; lying down in between the two, placed her hands behind her head, and looked up at the ceiling. Negumi and Zarudin first looked at each other then down at Fayth.

"Well...?" Fayth asked; eyeing Zarudin for a quick second before returning her attention to the ceiling.

Zarudin sighed loudly "Well its simple; I spared her life and she spared my sisters."

"Wait...what?" Negumi asked; her face a complete blank while she tried to register what he just said.

"Well I was at one time hired to...well... kill Fayth" Zarudin continued "I was supposed to make it look like an accident...but..." he trailed off.

"But he supposedly respects all life and all that blah" Fayth concluded.

Zarudin gave her a quick glance, clearly irritated at her way of wording. "I was raised as an assassin for hire. It's something my family has always done; but I did not agree with their ways. So usually assignments that didn't involve actual assassination, intimidation for example, I would happily do. But father had insisted that I had to do this task, he wanted me to get used to the actual killing aspect. I was determined; but my determination faded...and I spared her life."

"Wait...was this after..." Negumi began to ask.

"After I signed away my fortune; my name as head of the de la Rosa organization? Yes..." Fayth answered. "They waited until just after; those assholes...and sent someone to kill me. Granted I put up a good fight but I wasn't as good in hiding as he was and next thing I knew I was backed into a corner...no weapons...and before I could think he quickly had me immobilized on the floor."

"But I couldn't do it, so I told her to run...and lied about it. But then rumors began that a woman tried to kill the head of the organization. And next thing I knew, my father sent my sister after her to finish what I couldn't...while he dealt with me." Zarudin sighed "Simply put I ran, as fast as I could, as far as I could. I was no longer welcome there so I decided to track my sister down and stop her; save her from making a mistake."

Fayth continued "When his sister reached me I was more prepared; although she was different, more ruthless and less strategy. Then Zarudin came, attempting to stop his sister from killing me. At first it seemed like she was going to comply..."

"She then tried to kill me" Zarudin finished; his expression serious, and his composure rigid.

Negumi couldn't believe what she had heard. She looked at the two of them deep in thought, their expressions serious. The silence was unbearable; it felt like years even though it was only mere seconds.

"I then took the opportunity to knock her unconscious...and then took out a knife; ready to slash her throat." Fayth said, pinching the bridge of her nose, moving onto her side to face Negumi and away from Zarudin.

"I asked Fayth to spare her. At first she refused but then when I told her she was my sister...Fayth, all of the sudden, changed her mind. She then quickly grabbed my arm and we ran away..." Zarudin finally concluded.

"Then your sister? She lived?" Negumi asked.

"I assume so" Zarudin replied, sighing again. "I joined along with Fayth because I know her family has connections with mine; we joined the agency as a way to get closer to the underworld. I know we will attract enough attention to get our families to look for us; then it will only be a matter of time until I can find my sister..."

Again they stayed in silence. Had anyone else heard this story they probably would not believe a word of it; but all three of them knew better. They have all gone through their own personal obstacles, they all have lost something.

"Negumi, what about you? Why are you here?" Zarudin asked.

Negumi looked at the two staring back at her, she knew that she wouldn't be able to avoid having to tell them. Well, maybe it wouldn't be that bad, they have known each other for a while. "My parents were part of the International Police of Japan. They were called in to work with the Italians to tackled the problems with corruption in the country, which in turn, was affecting Japan as well. They were supposed to be undercover as Japanese yakuza members, along with a third person, looking to expand their connections with the de la Rosa organization..." Negumi stopped briefly to look at Fayth's expression which seemed to be of anger. She knew that Fayth had an intense hatred for her family's name and legacy.

"Well...get on with it" Fayth said; turning her gaze briefly to Negumi before looking away.

"Right. Well the agency thought that if they could break down the biggest organization in Italy then the others would quickly follow. Everything seemed to be going okay...except their partner ended up falling in love with one of the members...at first my parents feared that it would lead to betrayal. In the end, it was revealed that he was giving information to the agency too. With my parents blessings they were married. I don't know much after that except that my parents unexpectedly left their assignment...and shortly after returned to it. Then one day..."

Negumi stopped to catch her breath, she could feel the tears stinging her eyes. "One day...they were ambushed...and killed..." a tear ran down her cheek as she continued "I went to the police first...they pretended that it never happened. Then I came to the agency; they confirmed that someone found out about my parents lie and killed them...but they had no evidence to prove it so there was no way to do anything. In the end I joined so I can get close enough to find who killed my parents...so they can pay..."

"At least you can be proud of your family." Zarudin said in an attempt to cheer her up.

"Yeah..." She replied; wiping a tear away. "My father comes a long line of policemen, they didn't approve of my mother but..he didn't care. They both strongly believed that if they worked hard enough, if they could hold onto their beliefs, there would be change. I even began to train with the Italian police academy...but left after they refused to investigate my parent's deaths."

Fayth sighed heavily at hearing both of their stories. Everything always seemed to revolve around her family; everything seemed to be their fault. The silence was practically suffocating them; their stories all held a heavy burden on their hearts.

"So Fayth..." Negumi began, breaking the silence of the room. "I know that you were next in line to take over this organization but...what's your story? I mean...I have only heard little things from the people at the agency but...not much else."

Fayth looked down at the bed sheets, suddenly finding them interesting, avoiding Negumi's gaze. "My family is a curse on me, my cross to bear for a lifetime. The organization...I'm not sure how long it has been there, or when it began, but when I was born my grandfather was leading. My father was the youngest of two boys...but because my uncle and aunt could not conceive a child...my father became next in line. My parents died in an accident as far as I know; leaving me and my younger sister as orphans..."

"Sister? You never spoke of a sister..." Negumi spoke up at the sudden revelation.

She nodded and continued "Yes, my sister Speranza. We were raised under grandfather for a short while; but he couldn't cope with the loss of his son and died months after. My aunt and uncle were reluctant to take us in; but it was revealed that my grandfather lived long enough to change his will and leave me as sole heir. I was trained...in everything from weapons handling to hand combat. I was taught the inner workings of what we did; everything from extortion and larceny to kidnapping, prostitution, drug trafficking, assassination... I was taught who was ally and foe. I was groomed to be the perfect leader; but I didn't want anything to do with them... I rebelled against my family. It got to the point where we could kill each other; so we made a deal...my inheritance for my sister"

"What? You were going to give them-?" Negumi began to say, her eyes widening at the realization of what Fayth did.

"I signed away my whole inheritance...to be able to walk away from them with my sister. But the day I gave them everything; they sent for someone to kill me... I shouldn't be surprised." Fayth said, her voice lowering with every word, clenching her hands in anger, her fingernails burying into her skin to the point that she began to bleed. "I hate my name, the legacy that it holds. It's my cross, a curse, to bear for my lifetime knowing all the pain and suffering that was caused. I ran, I left her behind...but they...those fuckers...they WILL pay for it. I won't stop until they fall, until they ALL fall...and I can save her, save Speranza, from that life."

* * *

A/N: Bear him a child? Get that clue? Oh man I kill myself XD.

Zarudin has a twin sister if you guys are wondering. Yep, they are twins.

Speranza is Italian for Hope. If you're wondering why Fayth was named, well, as Fayth it shall be revealed in the next chapter! Also more insight on her parents too :3

Please do not forget to leave some constructive criticism!~ I really hope to gain some feedback on how to improve myself as I keep moving forward~

Until next time!~


	7. Chapter 7: Past Long Regretted

A/N: I know its laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaate! B-but I have a good reason...writers block... Sadly, I have hit a writer's block which made writing this out hard. But I plan on working through it as fast as possible.

* * *

**Chapter 7: Past long regretted**

* * *

A man sat behind his massive desk inside a huge office. He looked to be in his early fifties and was dressed in an expensive looking black suit. His back is towards the desk to look at the huge windows that were behind it. His steel grey eyes flashed before the sight before him, his fingers passing through his short dark brown hair, which had several stands of grey hair scattered throughout. He could see the tall skyscrapers and the bustle of the city below him and smiled; everything was practically his, his reach expanding, and his presence was known by everyone. He had the biggest criminal organization of Italy and the influence he had was enough to sway even the president's decisions. His name known, but never spoken as there was tremendous fear that he would know. No one stood in his way...no one.

Suddenly the doors swung open and a young woman walked in, her light blonde hair flowing behind her, wearing a simple black pinstripe suit. She stopped just before reaching his desk, her blue-grey eyes unmoving, her face showing no expression.

"What is it?" The man asked, his back still towards her.

The woman said nothing, she simply pulled out a card from her pocket and threw it towards the desk. The man turned to see the object and his smile instantly turned into a frown. The card was a simple white, the only thing on it was a red rose design.

"Where was it?" he asked, his eyes now on the expressionless woman before him.

"Mr. Boveri attempted to hide it from us; when the media heard of someone who tampered with the drinks and found a possible suspect we tracked him down. He was hiding within France and was going to board a private plane to go towards Russia." She replied.

"What was taken?"

"The data and memory card from his phone."

"Damn it! There were important numbers and information in that card!" He yelled. His eyes flashed in anger upon hearing that information. He slammed his fist onto the table and clenched his teeth together in an attempt to quell his temper.

"Indeed, we have taken care of Boveri; his body now lies in lake Como. All the media will know is that it was an attempted kidnapping." She said before turning around and walking out of the office.

When the doors closed he picked up the card and crumpled it in his hand. No one stood in his way...except for one minor annoyance.

"Fayth."

* * *

Fayth sat on her bed, after that conversation and the revelations no one really said a word. They were all too lost within their own thoughts and the day simply ran by. She glanced at her clock and saw it was only 6p.m. Sighing she turned her attention to her surroundings, everything was as it had been the day she got the house. She never really attempted to personalize the room; she remembered scoffing one day when Zarudin tried to explain that it was her attempt to close herself off from the world. Back then, she didn't even want to hear the psychology crap; she reasoned that she simply had no time or need to fix her room. But now that she thought about it, she couldn't help but mentally agree. Fayth didn't want to open her world, she didn't want anyone in. If her past taught her anything, it was that inviting someone in would only cause her pain in the long run. Sighing, she laid down on her bed, her arms behind her head and her eyes looking up at the ceiling.

As long as no one knew her, her innermost secrets, her dreams, her fears, as long as she let no one in, she wouldn't be hurt again. Not like before...

* * *

_I do not know why I need you,_

_but you bring me such joy._

_You help me forget the shadows..._

_that forever plague my soul._

_Please do not go away._

_I cannot explain why..._

_but I feel like I need you..._

_Please do not turn away from my eyes..._

Flashes of pictures, of memories, pass by; starting with the image of the adolescent girl kneeling besides the two gravestones, and the child from before, now a young man, who reaches out and wraps his arms around her shoulders. She reaches to hold onto his arms, tears threatening to run as they both stay in place; then suddenly a small smile appears on her face. From there more picture of her, although sadness is still clear in her expression, little by little she begins to smile again. The man always besides her in each memory, they seem to be the best of friends. Many memories of pranks, many moments of slight happiness growing within her. Slowly her sadness is pushed away, her smile growing slightly bigger each time. The memories suddenly pause on a moment of the girl as a woman, now 18, with fear in her eyes. There are shadows that surround her, a tear streaming down her cheek. Her mouth opened slightly as one name escapes her lips.

"Itsuki..."

* * *

BEEP!  
BEEP!  
BEEP!

Fayth groaned in frustration, hearing the alarm buzzing loudly just a few feet away. She cursed herself for placing it there, knowing that it forces her to get up to turn it off. She pulled a pillow over her heard in an attempt to block out the annoying sound, but she could still hear it. Irritated, she tossed her pillow aside and got out of bed, stretching her body and feeling her joints pop back into place. Fayth walked up to the clock and hit the button to turn it off, a little harder than necessary, and the beeping stopped. Although very annoyed by the alarm she did thank the timing. _'Stupid memories...all they do is remind me why I hate people'_ she thought, her mind replaying her dream over and over. She walked over to her dresser and pulled out a simple white shirt and went to her closet to pull out a pair of black jeans and white sneakers. Tossing the clothing aside for later she made her way into the bathroom to begin her preparations for the start of a new day.

* * *

Zarudin and Negumi were already downstairs in the kitchen, eating their breakfast in silence. They were accustomed to waking up early in order to make the most of the day and, luckily for them, the house keepers always woke up early as well. They could take their time to get ready and it allowed for them to be greeted by a hearty breakfast when they made their way downstairs. They always ate in the kitchen, for some reason it just didn't seem right to use the actual dining room; it felt too empty and so they avoided it completely. Negumi took a bite out of her buttered toast while Zarudin reached out to grab several pieces of bacon that was on a separate plate in front of him.

Fayth made her way down the stairs, already dressed and ready to go. Today was the briefing for the newest assignment; Negumi insisted that Fayth not be a part of it but had allowed her to at least hear what she was planning. Negumi and Zarudin usually were the ones who planned everything; they were both excellent at strategizing. Fayth honestly couldn't ever see herself do that, she was more action than planning. Arriving at the foyer she quickly turned left and walked towards the back of the home; passing by the sitting room and dining room on her way to the kitchen. Negumi and Zarudin both looked up to see her pass through the doorway and make her way towards them, taking a seat at the end of the table.

"You're not one to wake up early." Zarudin commented, watching her grab different items from the many plates and placing them on the empty one in front of her.

"Bite me" Fayth dryly responded; taking a bite from the strip of bacon in her hand.

Negumi cleared her throat in an attempt to quell any possible confrontation. To her it was too early to start arguing, especially with a big briefing up ahead in the day. "Look today we are starting the preparations for the upcoming assignment."

"Who's the target?" Fayth questioned

"Not target, targets" Negumi clarified. Fayth looked at her, puzzled at her words. "Apparently we are going to hit two men in connection to the Taisho clan."

"Taisho...aren't they Japanese yakuza?" Fayth asked.

"They are; but they have big influence here in Italy and are deeply connected to the De la Rosa organization. As it were, the two combined hold a lot of power and influence on many of Italian politicians as well as over other criminal organizations."

"So who are we targeting."

"Well me and Zarudin will be targeting two people apparently, though the details have not yet been explained to us..."

"So two guys eh? Shouldn't be that hard to do."

"Well of course not, though again don't include yourself in those thoughts...remember your still on thin ice."

Fayth glared at Negumi for a bit who simply looked back. The tension between them was growing, mostly from Fayth's end.

Zarudin cleared his throat in order to cut through the tense atmosphere. Negumi glanced over to him before sighing and giving in. She stood up and walked away from the table, heading out of the kitchen towards another room; leaving Fayth and Zarudin on their own.

"Fayth..." he called out.

Fayth looked up at Zarudin, waiting for him to somehow lecture her on her manners.

"I'm not going to comment on the way you have been treating Negumi...just know what we are all here for the same reasons and, as such, being united will be a lot more beneficial than being apart." he stated in a matter of fact tone.

She scoffed in reply before exiting the kitchen to go after Negumi.

"Hey Negumi!" Fayth called out.

Said woman turned around to face her. "What is it?"

"Look...I won't jump the gun okay?"

Negumi quirked an eyebrow at the statement which had Fayth take a deep breath before continuing. "I won't get involved in the assignment...but I want to know what you're going to do."

Negumi sighed, shaking her head in defeat. "If you don't get involved...then I guess there is no harm in letting you know the plan."

Fayth simply nodded in agreement, Zarudin having caught up to the two of them just then. Negumi turned around and walked out towards the stairs, the other two right behind her in silence. They made their way up the steps, heading towards Negumi's room. Once inside, Negumi closed and locked the door behind Fayth and Zarudin, to insure that there would be no interruptions. Without saying a word, she walked over to the dresser and opened the top drawer, pulling out a tablet. She tossed it over to Fayth, who caught it on instinct.

Fayth's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "What is this?"

"Look at it." Negumi replied.

Fayth and Zarudin both looked down at the tablet, which showed an address, date, and time.

"What's this?" Zarudin asked, pointing to the screen.

"That's the location for a charity event taking place in approximately eight days from now. Attending that event will be the Taisho brothers, along with their two highest ranking members... Mitsou Yukimura, and Kimiko Takeda. Yukimura is a close friend of the youngest brother, but he had proven himself capable to earn favor with the older brother. Takeda is currently engaged to the youngest Taisho brother and therefore was immediately accommodated to a fairly high rank. She is the first born to the Takeda clan, a fairly well known clan in Japan, though nowhere near as powerful as the Taisho's."

Fayth looked up at Negumi. "Taisho...brothers you say?" Negumi nodded. "What are their names...?" Fayth asked, a look of slight apprehension on her face.

"Well...I know that the older one goes by Seishirou...apparently he isn't one to try and hide his identity. The younger one though, I can't be too sure about the name he uses."

"What name?" Fayth asked dryly.

"Well..." Negumi started "he goes by Itaru publically but, when I tried to search up his history it came up empty...so he must be using a fake name."

Zarudin looked over at Fayth who was visibly angered at something, at least he could tell by the why she clenched her teeth together. "Fayth...you okay?"

Fayth closed her eyes and took a deep breath, willing herself to remain calm. "Yeah...guess I was just reminded of something..."

"Your past?" he asked.

"A past long regretted..." she trailed off, unwilling to delve into those thoughts any further. As far as she was concerned that past was over and done; it never existed. "Eight days huh?" she asked, swiftly changing the subject.

Negumi looked at her for a while, unsure of what had just occurred. "Yeah...Zarudin and I will be going in undercover for the event. We hope to be able to infiltrate into their organization using either Yukimura or Takeda."

Fayth nodded once in understanding. "I see..."

Something was nagging in the back of her mind, something felt off about this particular assignment. Whatever it was Negumi was dead wrong if she thought that she wouldn't get involved. One way or another...Fayth would find a way in. If anything, she was highly persistent. Eight days to prepare, that thought alone had that nagging feeling grow in intensity. Something about that name...Taisho, it had her on end. It couldn't be, there was no way. That was in her past.

That past long regretted.

* * *

A/N: Who could this Taisho guy be? Why is Fayth suddenly on edge? Le suspenseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.

Please do not forget to leave some constructive criticism!~ I really hope to gain some feedback on how to improve myself as I keep moving forward~

Until next time!~


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